Christian arab israeli says, “Israel is really the best country in the world. We live in Israel, and I feel a part of the state and the Jewish People. "

Israel is proud of its arab soldiers, christian and muslim such as commander Monalisa Abdo pictured here

One day we can hope this young person's views will be reflected by the christian leadership in Israel.

However reading the latest interview of the Vatican's representative in Israel one understands why christianity is condemned to continue to disappear from the region (that is excepting Israel where christianity and christians are thriving). 

Indeed two thirds of christians have disappeared in the last century, a million from Iraq in the last ten years and around a quarter of a million from Egypt since the onset of the Arab Spring/Winter. It's not yet known how many christians are fleeing now from Syria.

Christians throughout the region have found that far from being protected by their bretheren in the West, they have been abandoned to their fate. Worse still, the established churches have stuck fast to a policy of diverting the world's attention away from the ethnic cleansing, massacres and all pervadingdiscrimination of christians in arab and islamic countries towards maligning Israel,

the only country where christianity is practised freely and where christians are full and equal citizens.

It is no secret that christianity is faced with genocidal islamic religious hatred and bigotry from Iran all the way to Gaza and Egypt, not forgetting the Palestinian Authority territories, yet when trying to explain why, Patriarch Fouad Twal. the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem could only “lament”, “that Israel’s 20-foot-high wall around the Palestinian territories has made daily life for many almost impossible”.

This pathetic statement rather than act as condemnation of Israel is in fact a backhanded praise. The severest criticism that Twal can level against Israel is that the security barrier erected to frustrate the arab suicide bombers impedes the transferring of priests around the country. 

Twal has however never found it in his heart to condemn the terrorists and their indiscriminate violence that have claimed the lives of a number of his fellow christians along with jews. But Twal as with his predecessor MichaelSabbah is in the business of attacking jews so one need not expect criticism any time soon of those who really persecute his congregation.

So Israel's security fence is the sum total of Twal's understanding of why two thirds of christians have been either killed or fled from the region in the last century. Later in the interview Tawal talks of his being an arab is important to his identity.

Tawal might learn from other christians in Israel who understand just how good Israel is to them, how Israel's laws prevent discrimination or harm befalling them. Tawal might learn from the violent attacks on his institutions and congregants by fellow muslim arabs. This will not happen of course because Tawal is infused not by love for christians, but of hatred for the Jewish State.

Israeli christians are in ever increasing numbers rejecting the hatred fed to them by their Catholic and Orthodox institutions.

They look around the middle east and unlike Tawal are not blind. Instead of hatred, they find themselvesloving Israel, loving the country of Israel which is blind to faithand ethnicity.

“Israel has a stable regime and protects us, and we in turn are loyal citizens, but we do live with a sense of insecurity, which brings us to feel like the rest of the Christian in the region.” In conclusion, he speaks warmly of what he defines as his country. “Israel is really the best country in the world. We live in Israel, and I feel a part of the state and the Jewish People. “

The 600 who understand on which side their bread is buttered

Role model for christians in Israel - Monalisa Abdo the first female Arab combat commander

It is heartwarming to see that so many young christians in Israel go against their leaders, the official churches, their bishops and do their duty by their country Israel by doing national service and serving in the IDF. 
Christian youth such as MonaLisa and her sister are the future of their community, not the religious bigots who purport to represent them.
Christians in Israel know that they have the luck to live in the only country in the region which protects the rights of all religious denominations, that allows freedom of worship and protection from discrimination.
Only in Israel are christians free. Christians look around them and see themselves under attack in every muslim country, every arab country in the middle east.
Many christian youth are not just taking all that Israel has to offer whilst besmirching the State of Israel, but are doing their duty. Kol Hakavod (Hebrew for 'respect'/ 'well done').


Christian leaders spar over IDF enlistment

Conference allegedly encouraging young Christians to serve in IDF leads to boycott, death threats and police complaints, but volunteers could be more satisfied with their service

Hassan Shaalan
The issue of the enlistment of Christians in the IDF has sparked unexpected tensions in Israel's Arab Christian community.

The head of the Council of Arab Orthodox Community Dr. Azmi Hakim on Tuesday filed a police complaint claiming he received death threats after voicing opposition to the recruitment of Christians following a conference in Nazareth Illit.

He later said he has no problem with those who choose to join the army but remains opposed to the idea.

Threats were apparently also made against other members of the community who promote enlistment, according to Defense Ministry official Haim Ben-Ami. 

The affair began early last month during a conference which was attended by Defense Ministry representatives as well as Nazareth Illit Mayor Shimon Gabso and Reverend Jubrail Nadaf.

During the conference, Christian teens were encouraged to join the IDF which sparked uproar among clerics and members of the Christian community council.

They called to boycott Nadaf claiming he does not represent them. "We will not let anyone sully the community's name by recruiting Christians to the IDF or National Service. We must fight this," one councilman said. 

Reverend Nadaf said, "I am not responsible for what was said at the conference. Anyone who says otherwise is inciting against me as a religious figure and will pay for it in court." Nadaf filed a police complaint against the council citing defamation.  

Data show that 18% of Christians in Israel volunteer for National Service, the director of the National Service Directorate, Sar-Shalom Jerby, said. "Of the 3,000 Arabs volunteering for National Service 570 are Christians," he said.

"There is some opposition to National Service in the Arab community," Jerby added. "Some treat the volunteers as traitors. At times they are even attacked."

'I love helping my community'

While the community's leaders continue to quarrel over the matter, it appears that the young Israeli Christians embrace the opportunity to serve their communities.  

"I volunteer at a school in the village and am very satisfied with my service because I'm helping my community," said 19-year-old Jana.

"All the people who are against it don't understand what we contribute. In the beginning, those who weren't happy with my decision created problems for me but I've proven myself." 

Another young Christian said she volunteers at a cultural institute and is happy she is able to help others. "I'm thinking about also serving in the IDF because I'm an Israeli citizen and want to contribute to the country," she said.  

One volunteer said she is determined to continue her service despite receiving threats. "It made me want to stop but my parents supported me and gave me strength. It made me go on without being scared of all the threats. I never expected Christian religious figures to stoop so low because of the conference, which is hardly something new." 

The Nazereth Illit Municipality said in response, "The event was a tribute to Christian soldiers serving in the IDF and performing National Service. It was not aimed at recruiting more Christians to the IDF."

 The Defense Ministry said, "We will not tolerate threats or attacks against those who promote enlistment. They will receive our support."

Loyal christians make this greek orthodox bigot fume

Yet another christian bigot allowed to disseminate his anti-semitism and intimidate christians from within Israel

That our brave christian arab Mona Lisa and her sister are not alone, that there are more christians interested in doing their bit to help the land that protects them and their community is laudable. It makes bigoted clerics like Father Attallah Hanna fulminate against them from the pulpit.

That's all well and good, but I wonder how many other countries allow enemies to run around in time of war intimidating citizens into not doing their duty by their country?

If this religious bigot who hates the fact that christians want to serve in Israel's army wishes to rant and rave in his incitement against the country which gives him refuge, then he should be shipped over the border to another country where he'll be happier and more welcome. He could go to Lebanon, Syria or Egypt. He should be given the opportunity to acquaint himself with the reasons why christians in Israel love the country and wish to serve in its army. The bigoted bishop could ask copts why their daughters are kidnapped and forcibly converted? He could ask Syrians why the christians of Homs packed their bags and left so hurriedly? He could investigate the murder of monk in Syria last week. Why stay in Israel the country he hates so much?

Israeli Monalisa Abdo the first christian arab combat commander1

Israel salutes its brave muslims and christians who show their loyalty to the state and jit suffers those who do not whilst extending to them all their rights. 
But those who act seditiously in an attempt to force israeli citizens away from doing their duty must be punished or shown the door just as happens in any other country. 

Will Israel finally begin to show that it's tired of its hospitality being abused?

Father Hanna slams attempts to recruit Christian Arabs in Israeli army

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Father Attallah Hanna, the archbishop of Sebastia in Jerusalem, strongly denounced the Israeli army for its attempts to recruit Christian Palestinians from the 1948 occupied lands.

Father Hanna said those who participated in suspicious meetings with Israelis to encourage the Christian young men of Palestine to join the army do not represent the Palestinian Christians and their national affiliation and only represent themselves.

He stressed that the Palestinian Christians are Arabs and an essential part of the Arab nation, describing these Israeli attempts as a grave conspiracy aimed at uprooting the Christian Palestinians from their national identity.

The Israeli war ministry organized recently a meeting in Nazareth Illit city between a number of Christian clergymen and Israeli officers from the army and its intelligence to urge the Christian Arabs to join the army and fight in its ranks.

For its part, the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands warned the Arab young men of falling into the trap of the Israeli attempts to Israelize them and create sectarian conflicts between the different spectra of the Palestinian people inside the Israeli occupied territories.

The Islamic Movement also urged the Arab political parties and movement in the 1948 occupied lands to take active role within the Arab committee against military and civil service in order to pool the efforts to confront Israel's attempts to recruit Palestinian young men.